The last two days the internet in India has been buzzing with news about the huge discovery of lithium reserves found in Rajasthan and how it would be a game changer for the country’s acceleration of the adoption of electric vehicles.
Putting a rest to the rumors, the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the scientific body under the Ministry of Mines has called the news “baseless.”
It has called out the various reports published in several newspapers about the finding of large lithium reserves in Degana area, Nagaur district in Rajasthan being “completely baseless and misleading.”
GSI further stated that no information on the discovery was provided by the regional or the central headquarters of the body.
“It is informed that the GSI is carrying out exploration for tungsten, lithium and associated rare metals mineralisation in the Degana area, Rajasthan since 2019-20 and the drilling work is still under progress. The resources will be established only after completion of the drilling work and finalization of the report,” GSI stated.
What’s interesting is that while there have been talks about the recent discovery of lithium reserves in Jammu & Kashmir and then in Rajasthan, the fact is that only traces of lithium are in different locations in India. But if the exact amount and quality of material (battery grade) have yet to be officially determined. A note published in the Indian Water Works Association journal in 2013, had first stated the occurrence of lithium in the groundwater of Nawa and Degana areas of Nagaur district of Western Rajasthan.